Kejelcha and Tesfay lead elite lineup for Valencia

Yomif Kejelcha returns to Valencia to take on his second marathon following his spectacular debut in London (1:59:41), alongside his compatriot Fotyen Tesfay (2:10:52). Both currently hold the second-fastest men’s and women’s marathon times in history, making them the clear favorites in a star-studded lineup.

The 2026 Valencia Marathon will also welcome back last year’s winners, Kenyans John Korir (2:02:24) and Joyciline Jepkosgei (2:14:00). Both will return to the lightning-fast Valencian course aiming to defend their titles and lower their personal bests over the 42,195-meter distance, records they both set in Valencia in 2025.

In the men’s field, Alexander Mutiso (2:03:11), Dawit Wolde (2:03:48), Nibret Melak (2:04:00), Leul Gebreselassie (2:04:02 and 2018 champion), and Norway’s Awet Kibrab (2:04:24) are among the standout names in this initial elite preview. Featuring seven runners with times under 2h04:30, the field will continue to grow as more contenders aiming for world-class times and national records are added.

The women’s field is equally stacked, with top-tier athletes ready to challenge Tesfay and Jepkosgei. Key contenders include American record holder Emily Sisson (2:18:29) and Finland’s Alisa Vainio (2:20:39) —both holders of their national records—, alongside Kenya’s Lilian Kasait (2:19:35) and Ethiopia’s Aberu Ayana (2:20:20). High expectations also surround Ejgayehu Taye, who fell short of luck in her previous Valencia appearance (but holds a blazing 1h04:14 half marathon PR) and debutant Winnie Jepkosgei. Furthermore, at least one more major, world-class women’s signing will be unveiled this autumn.

Marc Roig, the selector of international elite athletes, shared his thoughts on this first wave of athletes: “Both the men’s and women’s champions from 2025 are returning this year, but with Yomif and Fotyen now confirmed, defending those titles will be an immense challenge. Once again, predicting a winner in Valencia is completely impossible and that’s exactly the way we like it.”